“IT’S LOCKED!!” I yell across the car to Tony. I bang on the windows. “OPEN THE DAMN DOORS!” I yell as my fist bang against the glass. I glance over my shoulder to see a swarm of flesh eaters stumbling and staggering their way toward us. Just as the first one makes its way to me the door flies open and I jump in and slam it shut just in time because the flesh eater smashes up against my window. Its face is badly mangled and the oozing blood from his half torn off jaw smears on the glass where his face made contact. I lean over quickly unlocking Tony’s door and he jumps in just as fast as I had.
I start the car and yank the gear shift down in reverse and stomp on the pedal causing the car to speed backwards running over several flesh eaters. I whip the car around and fly down the ramp taking the curves on two wheels.
“HOLY FUCK THAT WAS CLOSE!” Tony says with a huff once we are out of the parking deck.
I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding, “Yes it was,” I say as I make our way back onto the highway.
“Umm…Liv where is your shirt?” Wil asks from the backseat
I am glad it is dark in here because my face would be four different shades of red right now.
“Uh... A flesh eater had me by it so I slipped it off to get away?” I say as more of a question than statement.
“Sure it did,” Wil giggles.
“Here babe,” Tony says pulling off his top shirt leaving him in just his white muscle shirt. I reach over and grab it, thankful.
“Thank you,” I say while hurriedly pulling the shirt over my head. As it slides down my face I can smell his Chocolate Axe body spray that I bought him a couple months ago.
I drive for what seems like hours and when the sun finally starts sneaking over the horizon I let out a sigh. We have officially made it our first day alive in this new hell.
“I have to pee,” Wil says nervously from the back seat.
It seems so weird to think of normal things like bathroom breaks and showers now. Even after a day it’s like my whole thought process as changed from normal to protective. I have to keep myself alive, Emily, Tony and Wil.
“I will pull over in the next safest town and we will see if we can find a bathroom and more supplies, also we will need gas soon.” I cock my head back to make sure Wil can hear me.
“Thanks Liv.”
I look up in the rearview mirror and smile at Wil. She has been my best friend so long it is only fitting that she be with me during the end of the world or whatever it is that is happening. I need to teach her how to defend herself. What if I am not around to do it for her? That thought terrifies me to think that I may not be around to save her. I need to find her her own Mr. Bat so to speak.
We pull into an old run down gas station that has definitely seen better days. The white sign is rusted out and you can’t really make out the name. But hey, it has gas pumps and hopefully food inside.
I pull up to the tanks. “You pump gas,” I say looking to Tony. “And you come with me,” I say looking at Wil. “And you, Bimbo, do you think you can keep an eye out on this one until we get back?” I motion to Emily. “Keep the doors locked and you should be fine.” I turn to get out of the car then turn back and glare at Becky. “Oh and if you let anything happen to her I WILL kill you, slowly and painfully,” I smirk and get out closing the door behind me, with trusty Mr. Bat swinging by my side.
As soon as we step out of the car I quietly make my way to Willow, waiting until she is out of the car and beside me. We start making our way to the front door of the store. There are flesh eaters in the distance so I turn to Wil and raise my finger to my lips until she nods that she understands to be quiet.
We push the door open and I cringe when the bell above it dings alerting anyone dead or alive that we are now in the store. Wil walks in behind me and slides the door shut with her foot easing it closed so it doesn’t make too much racket. I look around for the sign to the bathroom and nod my head. Wil grabs my shirt and we make our way towards the back of the store. I hear the moaning before we even make it to the end of the aisle. I stop close to the end and peek my head around the corner. There is a man lying on the ground with another one bent over him digging into his stomach. You can hear the sound of the flesh as he pulls it from his body like he is a chicken wing or something. I hold my finger up to Will and walk up behind him bringing Mr. Bat over my head, I slam it down on him with all the force I can muster and watch as his head smashes open like a water balloon and blood and other things I don’t want to think about fly all over the floor and up into my face.
I gag and take a step back wiping my bat on the back of his dirty shirt. When I look back to Wil she is watching me with her mouth hanging open, shock clear on her face. I smile and shrug my shoulders motioning for her to walk into the bathroom. As soon as she opens the door she jumps back with a squeal. A woman walks out who looks to be about our age her hands are held out in front of her. Her dress is short with a rip all the way up the left side of it. Her blonde hair is hanging loose around her shoulders with some of it sliding down her face in matted clumps.
I grab Wil’s arm and swing my bat over my head knocking the girl to the floor, blood making a pool at our feet. I peek in the bathroom around her and my heart hits the floor in the corner of the room is a diaper bag, its blood stained contents are scattered all over the floor. I look all around the bathroom praying there is not a child or a child’s body in there.
“I don’t see a baby,” Wil says behind me causing me to jump.
“Me either, I am going to see what I can gather while you do what you need to in here.”
“Okay. Stay close.” The desperation in her voice almost makes me want to stay with her to make her feel safe, but I know my time would be better served in finding supplies.
I nod my head and turn back to the aisle behind me. It looks like someone has already made it here before we did and got all that they wanted. I grab some more chips and smile when I see a candy bar on the floor. Emily would love to have this.
By the time Wil is done in the bathroom my arms are full with all kinds of snacks and drinks.
“Ready?” She ask.
“Yeah let’s grab a bag from the front. I need my hands free.”
We make our way to the front of the store and I drop the things in my arms down on the countertop before hopping over it to search for a bag. As I am loading the contents into a bag I look up just in time to see another flesh eater stumbling toward Wil’s turned back.
“Wil look out!” I yell tossing her my bat.
She catches it and looks at me like what the hell do I do with this?
Answering her unspoken question, “Hit it in the head! You have seen me do it, now you do it!” I demand.
“I..I don’t think I can.” She shakes her head
“You better do something.” I point in the direction of the flesh eater as it is now just a few feet from her. I have to fight back the urge to jump over the counter and protect her. She needs to do this. I keep telling myself over and over to fight the urge.
She lifts the bat up and swings hard, it misses its target and she stumbles forward hitting nothing but air.
“Liv I can’t do this!” She panics and backs up until her back hits the counter. Her eyes are full of fear.
“Concentrate Wil you have to learn to defend yourself. I may not always be around to do it for you.” The close call last night with Tony flashes through my mind.
She brings the bat up one more time and smashes it down on the eater’s shoulder knocking it back a few steps.
“Head! Aim for the head!” I yell.
She glares over her shoulder at me. “I am!” She hisses.
Wil lifts the bat again and this time as if to prove me wrong she smashes it in the head sending it to his knees. She swings and lands a final killing blow. She turns around and looks at me with a huge grin plastered on her face.
“I did it!” She breathes a sigh of relief.
“Yes you did!” I hop back ove
r the counter and hug her. “I knew you could do it!”
“That was wild! It sounds wrong to say that it was fun, but it kind of was,” she says and smiles slightly and hands me back my bat.
“Hell no it’s not wrong! Why do you think I do it every chance I get, besides to save y’all lives, that is,” I chuckle.
“Okay, okay let’s get back to the car and check on Emily, he-woman,” her voice rings with laughter.
I glare over at the car. “That bitch better not have harmed one hair on her head!” I yank the bags up and march my way out to the car with Wil right behind me.
Tony has already finished filling up our tank and is back in the passenger seat. As I walk around the hood of the car to get in I can see Emily is now up front with Tony and is sitting on his lap playing with his shaggy blonde mess of hair.
I climb in the driver’s seat and toss the bags in the back hoping they hit the bimbo that doesn’t belong with us.
“Ouch!” she cries out and I smile knowing I have hit my mark.
Wil climbs in the back driver’s side closing the door with a thud behind her.
“Everyone ready?” I ask as I crank the car.
“Yep,” Emily and Wil say in unison as Emily climbs her way in the backseat beside Wil. Before she leans back she reaches up and gives Tony a kiss on the check.
“Thank you for letting me braid your hair Uncle Tony,” she says sweetly.
I look over at Tony and burst out laughing when I see three small braids in the bangs of his hair.
“I think it brings out the color of my eyes,” he says and mock flips his hair.
I collapse on the steering wheel dying of laughter. When I have finally composed myself I say, “Yes baby, yes it does.” I pat his cheek and then pull out onto the road again hitting a flesh eater on my way out. I glance over at Tony as he unbraids his hair in the visor mirror. “So Uncle Tony when did that happen?” I ask.
He shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno. She asked me my name and I told her it was Tony and she just added the Uncle to it.” He shrugs again then adds, “It’s not so bad.”
“It’s cute. I am glad she likes you.” I smile over at him as he shakes his head losing the last of the braids.
“I like her too. She is cute. Reminds me of what our daughter may look like some day,” he smirks and reaches over and grabs my hand bringing it up to his mouth and giving it a light kiss.
“Our daughter huh?” I say with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes ma’am, one day.” He smiles and I can see the hope in his eyes.
I hear Becky grunt in the back seat and I can’t help the grin that spreads over my face knowing she just witnessed our conversation and heard Tony say he wants kids with me one day. I know she wants him. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at him. Hell why wouldn’t she? He is tall, tanned and very, very handsome. His blond hair and blue eyes seem so much lighter against his sun kissed skin. His arms are not overly muscular but he has just the right amount. Dev was the one out of the two who overly worked out. I mean Tony works out too but nowhere near as much as Devin did.
We make it about a mile down the road before I hear the whiny bimbo’s voice, “Tony I have to pee!”
“I’m sorry did you miss the part where we just stopped at a store for that very reason?” Wil sarcastically asks.
I can’t help but crack a smile at her smart ass question. I see Tony takes a deep breath and sighs shaking his head.
“We will stop in a few miles Becky I promise.” He is irritated by her just as much as we are at this point.
“But I really need to go now ba..” She trails off looking out the window.
I slam on the brakes bringing the car to a screeching halt. I whip my head around.
“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!” I shout with fire blazing in her stare.
“Liv babe, you just attracted flesh eaters from miles away. What the hell is wrong with you?” Tony’s irritation turned toward me now.
I turn around and give Tony a death stare. “She just called you babe and all you can do is worry about the flesh eaters that are nowhere around us right now?” I spit.
“She didn’t call me anything Liv calm the hell down and go!” he demands.
“I will go when she gets the fuck out of this car!”
“WHAT?” Becky yells from the backseat.
I turn giving her my full attention. “Get the fuck out of the car. You want to call my man babe then you are going to get the ass whooping that comes with it!” I say unbuckling my seatbelt reaching for the door handle.
“Liv calm the hell down and get in the car! Emily is in here too and you're scaring her!” The nervousness in his voice just pisses me off more and makes me think something is really up with the two of them.
“I am not getting out with all of them things walking around!” Becky says shaking her head.
I look back into the backseat and see Emily with her head buried into Willow’s side. My temper subsides as I see how scared I am making her. I never wanted to scare her, only protect her. I slowly close the door and start driving. My hands are shaking as they grip the wheel.
“This is not over,” I say through gritted teeth as I glance over at Tony.
Becky huffs and looks out the window. The tension in the car is thick.
We drive for another five or six hours. The sun is slowly starting to set and I feel like I am about to pass out. I let out a big yawn.
“What do you say we find a place to crash for the night?” I look at Wil in the rearview mirror avoiding Tony and the slut all together.
“Yeah I need out of this car,” Wil says and I can tell she is just as pissed as I am with Becky and Tony.
Just then I spot a sign that says a super store is up ahead a half mile. I follow the road signs until I am pulling into an almost empty parking lot. I pull up right next to the big sliding glass doors. I quickly look around and only see a hand full of flesh eaters roaming around the parking lot slowly stumbling their way toward the car. We have plenty of time to make it inside before they make it to us.
“Em when we get out you hold Wil’s hand and walk really fast ok baby?” I look back at her.
“Okay,” she replies never looking up at me. It breaks my heart to know that I have made her scared of me. I look at Wil in the mirror the hurt clearly registering in my eyes because she gives me a half smile telling me it will be alright.
I open my door grabbing Mr. Bat as I step out. Oh I hope Barbie bitch says something. I will bash her head in. I grip the bat tighter trying to control my rage, for now. Wil and Emily climb out of the back as Tony and Becky open their doors at the same time and step out. She better not touch him. She better not touch him. I chant over and over in my head.
“Follow me and stay close,” I whisper to Wil.
“I know,” she nods her head towards the doors.
I make my way around the car and up to the glass sliding doors. I guess I am waiting for them to open on their own as I walk up but they don’t. “Shit,” I murmur. I don’t know why I still expected them to open by themselves.
I look around and see the entrance garage door where they push buggies in. “Come this way. Quick!” I say as I make my way over to the doors. Willow and Em are close on my heels, followed by Tony and Becky.
“Help me lift this!” I say looking at Tony while handing Wil my bat. He comes over beside me but not before giving Becky a reassuring glance. What the fuck was that?
We lift the door up and hold it open until everyone is inside. It closes just as the first flesh eater approaches and you can hear the bang of its body hitting up against the closed door.
I turn around and see a gun pointed right in Tony’s face. Tony is holding his hands up with eyes wide.
“What the hell man put the gun down!” He says in a shaky voice.
“Who are you and what the fuck do you want?!” A big tattooed muscle guy holding the gun asks.
“We just want sleep man. We have a child with us p
lease put the gun down,” Tony begs.
A round woman with a baby on her hip steps around the corner. “Clint drop the gun don’t you see the little girl?” She says with a very southern drawl.
Clint lowers the gun and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Becky steps from behind Tony and puts her arm around him like she belongs there. I see red and want to open this door just to let the eater rip her apart.
“We mean no harm. We just want to rest up and we will be on our way,” Tony says.
“And maybe some food and a change of clothes?” I step up pushing myself between Becky and Tony.
“Sure sweetie, anything y’all need we got plenty to go around. By the way I am Bobbie Sue and this little guy,” she rocks her baby on her hip. “This is Curtis Earl.”
The cutest baby I have ever seen is looking back at me with his big blue eyes and puffy red cheeks. He has the cutest bald head ever.
“Hey little guy,” I coo at him.
“Hey baby!” Emily says stepping forward taking Curtis Earl’s hand in hers.
Curtis smiles and coos at Emily.
“Y’all follow me and I will show y’all where the bathrooms are and Clint set up a shower for us,” Bobbie Sue says as she walks away.
I look over at Wil silently asking her if she is okay. She nods back at me and we follow Bobbie Sue.
***
As I lay here looking at the ceiling I try and close my eyes. Sleep should be claiming me right now, I haven’t slept in a little over twenty four hours but all I can keep seeing is Tony and Becky together. Would he really cheat on me? The way he looked at her today there has to be something going on. And the way he just lets her hang all over him like it’s no big deal.
“Wil are you awake?” I whisper just in case she isn’t.
“Yeah,” she whispers back.
“Take a walk with me? I gotta pee,” I ask.
“Sure, let’s go.”
I get up and she follows me to the bathroom.
“Sorry I didn’t have to pee I just wanted to talk to you without anyone hearing,” I confess.
“What’s going on?” she asks leaning in to the mirror pulling her hair into a high ponytail.
Surviving This Life Page 5
